Events & Festivals
You’ve probably heard of music, film, wine and performing arts festivals in Slovakia, but how about a festival that celebrates ghosts? Slovakia also has folklore festivals and cheese festivals to tempt you. Why not plan your visit here to coincide with one of these special events?
Music Festivals
May
Dixieland Festival, Banská Bystrica – International Dixieland Music Festival
- Where: Culture and Recreation Park (Park kultúry a oddychu)
- Contact: Municipal Office of Banská Bystrica
- Tel.: +421/48/16 186, 145 50 85
- Fax: +421/48/145 22 72
- E-mail: kis@pkobb.sk
June
Gospel Festival Lumen, Trnava – Lumen’s annual International Festival of Gospel Music
- Where: Trnava Sports Hall
- Contact: Municipal Office of Trnava
- Tel. 1: +421/33/5906 110
- Tel. 2: +421/2/5023 1214
- E-mail:media@festivallumen.sk
Musica Sacra, Nitra – An annual international festival of sacral music
- Where: Piarist Church of St. Ladislav (Piaristický kostol sv. Ladislava)
- Contact: Municipal Office of Nitra
- Tel.: +421/37/650 2273
- E-mail: kultura@msunitra.sk
July
International Organ Festival and Music Under the Diamond Vault, Kremnica – Festival also pays tribute to the violin vurtuoso, Peter Michalica, in the house where he was born.
- Contact: Information Center Kremnica
- Tel.: +421/ 45/ 674 28 56
- E-mail: infocentrum@kremnica.sk
The Festival of Beautiful Music, Banská Štiavnica – International Classical Music Festival
- Where: Old Castle (Starý zámok)
- Contact: Museum of Banská Štiavnica
- Tel.: +421/45/694 94 22, 694 94 35
- Fax: +421/45/692 07 61
- E-mail: sbm@muzeumbs.sk, kultura@banskastiavnica.sk
October
Jazz Under The Castle, Trenčín – Annual International Jazz Festival
- Contact: Trenčín jazz society, Mr. Ján Babič, festival director
- Tel.: +421/ 905/ 279 243
- E-mail: info@jazzfestival.sk
Choral Days of Trnava – International choral singing festival
- Contact: Municipal Office of Trnava
- Tel.: +421/ 33/ 32 36 400
- E-mail: tzd@tzd.sk
Bratislava Jazz Days – International Jazz Festival
- Contact: Bratislava Culture and Information Centre (Bratislavské kultúrne a informacné stredisko)
- Tel.: +421 (0) 2/16 186,+421 (0) 2/54 43 37 15
- E-mail: info@bkis.sk
November
BHS (Bratislavské Hudobné Slávnosti), Bratislava – Bratislava International Music festival
- Contact: BHS Management
- Tel.: +421 (0) 2/5443 0378, +421 (0) 2/5920 8291
- E-mail: bhsfest@nextra.sk
Film Festivals
June
Art Film Festival (Artfilm), Trenčianske Teplice & Bratislava – International Art Film Festival is organised by the Art Film Festival Foundation
December
International Film Festival, Bratislava – Annual International Film Festival takes place in several movie theatres of the Palace Cinemas multiplex in Bratislava Aupark center
Festivals in Castles
April/May
Červený Kameň Castle – Beltane Festival of Celtic Culture, CASTA
- Contact: Red Stone Museum (Múzeum Červený Kameň)
- Tel.: +421/ 33/ 690 58 00
- E-mail: muzeumca@stonline.sk
Orava Castle – Unlocking Orava Castle – festivities include re-enactments of daily life in medieval times (End April-Early May). Orava Castle also hosts a festival of Ghosts and Spirits, similar to Bojnice (below).
May/June
Ghosts and Spirits Festival in Bojnice (and Orava see above)
INTERNATIONAL GHOSTS AND SPIRITS FESTIVAL
Ghosts and spirits from all over the world haunt and entertain the visitors of the
castles, the kingdom of the dead comes back to life, and you can hear the wailing and rejoicing
of witches and scenes from fairly tales.
Where: Bojnice Castle (Zámok Bojnice) [for Orava Castle, see listing above]
Contact person: Ms. Adriana Jeleneková, 972 01 Bojnice
Tel.: +421/46/543 06 24, 543 06 33
Fax: +421/46/543 00 51
E-mail: marketing@bojnicecastle.sk
More Info: http://www.bojnicecastle.sk
Wine and Cheese Festivals
April
Wine Festival, PEZINOK
A celebration of the harvest, practiced here for hundreds of years. Features an international wine competition, the largest in Slovakia
Organizery: Union of Pezinok’s wine-growers and wine-makers, Union of Small Carpathian wine route and Small Carpathian Educational Center, tel. 033/6433705
For more info: http://www.our-slovakia.com/Homeland/Wine/wfestival.htm and http://www.pezinok.sk/english/where.htm
May
Festival of Cheese and Bryndza (Slovak Sheep Cheese), LIPTOVSKÝ MIKULÁŠ
Information Centre in Liptovský Mikuláš
Tel: +421/ 44/ 16 186, 552 24 18
Fax: +421/ 44/ 551 44 48
E-mail: infolm@trynet.sk
More Info: http://www.lmikulas.sk
Knights’ Festivals
July
International Historic Fencing Group Festival, LEVOCA
Tel: +421/53/454 13 36
F ax: +421/53/451 28 24
E-mail: muzeumle@isternet.sk
More Info: http://www.spisskyhrad.sk
August
Knights’ Games at the CERVENÝ KAMEN CASTLE – CASTA
Cervený Kamen Castle, 900 89 Castá
Tel.: +421/ 33/ 649 53 16
Fax: +421/ 33/ 649 51 32
E-mail: muzeumca@stonline.sk
More Info: http://www.snm.sk/ck/
Folklore and Other Traditional Festivals
June
International Festival of Dolls in National Costumes, POPRAD
THE INTERNATINAL FESTIVAL OF DOLLS IN NATIONAL COSTUMES
Festival of children´s folklore.
Tel.: +421/52/772 24 66
Fax: +421/52/773 21 40
E-mail: osvetapp@isternet.sk
July
THE FOLKLORE FESTIVAL AT VÝCHODNÁ
The largest celebration of traditional Slovak folk culture
Where: Východná – the amphitheatre
Contact Information Center in Liptovský Mikuláš
Tel: +421/44/16 186, 552 24 18, +421/2/592 14 114
Fax: +421/44/551 44 48
E-mail: infolm@trynet.sk
More Info: www.lmikulas.sk
Folklore Festival under Polana – DETVA
Annual international festival of traditional folklore.
Tel.: +421/45/ 54552 02
Fax: +421/ 45/ 545 62 16
E-mail: msu@detva.sk
More Info: http://www.detva.sk
August
Janosek Days – Terchova
International folk festival in honor of the Slovak Robin Hood, Janosek
Tourist Information Office – ZT Terchová (Turistická informacná kancelária – ZT Terchová)
Tel: +421 (0) 41/599 31 00, 500 23 07
Fax: +421 (0) 41/569 53 07
E-mail: ztt@ztt.sk
More Info: www.ztt.sk
September
CORONATION DAYS – BRATISLAVA
Festival in early September celebrating the centuries when Bratislava was the coronation city of the Austrian Empire with procession through Bratislava´s Old Town of actors in period costume, dubbing of knights and general merrymaking.
More Info: http://www.bratislava-info.sk/index.php?cl=kategoria&iid=2&tname=[multi]&lng=en
SALAMANDER DAYS – BANSKÁ ŠTIAVNICA
A traditional miners´parade throughout the city that has taken place for over 200 years. Cultural program and competitions in the old city centre.
Tel.: +421/ 45/ 691 35 16, 691 17 31
E-mail: kultura@banskastiavnica.sk
More Info: http://www.banskastiavnica.sk
November/December
CHRISTMAS MARKETS – BRATISLAVA
In the Main Square, at the heart of the Old Town, choirs, dance companies and bands perform. Traditional handcrafted items, Slovak food specialities and drinks.
Tel.: +421/ 2/ 544 12102
E-mail: m.sustek@mksba.sk
More Info: http://www.mksba.sk
May 21st, 2011 at 1:14 pm
Hello To Whom it may concern,
My name is Pastor AKHIDENOR E. Christopher, the resident pastor Assemblies of God church, Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Council, Edo state Nigeria.
I write to humbly request that information about the forth coming festival referred above be forwarded to me to enable me and my wife attend.
I shall be proceeding on my annual vacation very soon and I intend to attend the ceremony when it shall take place. I have the permission of the General superintendent of my Church to undertake the trip.
I shall be very glad if the necessary information is forwarded to me promptly to enable us put the necessary machinery in motion to facilitate our presence there.
Thanks and God bless you.
AKHIDENOR C.E
[Reply]
Slovak-Republic.org replies:
May 21st, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Which festival you mean?
[Reply]
August 27th, 2011 at 10:39 am
We are an NGO under the name of “Fair Jurists Foundation”. Amongst our other tasks we promote skills and talents of those who are interested and have done a significant experience in their prospective fields.
We understand Slovakia is full of interesting places along with historical and mysterious worth seeing spots significantly different from rest of the Europe. Following search we are interested in visiting different Castles and historical Churches including St. Apostle Altar in Church of St. Jacob – The largest wooden altar in the world, Spiš Castle – The largest castle complex in Europe, Kremnica Mint – One of the oldest continuously producing companies in the world, Janko Kráľ Orchard – One of the oldest public parks in Europe, Ochtinská Aragonite Cave – The only aragonite cave in Europe, Botanic garden on Lomnický Peak – The highest situated botanic garden in Central Europe, Wooden Bridge in Kolárovo – The longest wooden bridge in Europe.
We are also aware that Slovakia host number of Music Festivals and Film Festivals which are in our particular interest matching our objects. We have also learnt that Wine and Cheese Festivals and Folklore and Other Traditional Festivals are also being organized in different parts of Slovakia.
Could you please advice on the process, time and cost of obtaining visa for any of the above purpose? Further since there is no Embassy or Consulate of Slovakia in Pakistan and we have to contact the Embassy of Slovakia in Iran, your guidance in this regard on process is also required.
Please accept our anticipatory thanks for your cooperation in the above regard.
Dr. CM Afzal Javaid
Chief Executive
Fair Jurists Foundation
Lahore, Pakistan
Mobile: 0092 301 4925 301
[Reply]
Slovak-Republic.org replies:
September 6th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Pls read this: http://www.slovak-republic.org/visa-embassies/
[Reply]